Tea Drinkers Check In

[vbrnt]

Must be others here with me...

We are definitely out there! I have been a lurker on B&B for a while and officially joined just a couple of days ago. Glad to see that they have a forum for tea! Anywho, being from the UK I have been drinking tea since I was a kid, but have only really got into world teas within the last couple of years. Right now I am stocked up on run of the mill green tea, a couple of jasmins, hibiscus, yorkshire tea, horny goat weed and a few others.

Just wanted to check-in, and am looking forward to seeing what the B&B gents have to say.

 

[StillShaving]

We are definitely out there! I have been a lurker on B&B for a while and officially joined just a couple of days ago. Glad to see that they have a forum for tea! Anywho, being from the UK I have been drinking tea since I was a kid, but have only really got into world teas within the last couple of years. Right now I am stocked up on run of the mill green tea, a couple of jasmins, hibiscus, yorkshire tea, horny goat weed and a few others.

Just wanted to check-in, and am looking forward to seeing what the B&B gents have to say.

Welcome to B&B and the Cafe! Looking forward to your thoughts and inputs on tea as well.

 

[StubbleTrouble]

We are definitely out there! I have been a lurker on B&B for a while and officially joined just a couple of days ago. Glad to see that they have a forum for tea! Anywho, being from the UK I have been drinking tea since I was a kid, but have only really got into world teas within the last couple of years. Right now I am stocked up on run of the mill green tea, a couple of jasmins, hibiscus, yorkshire tea, horny goat weed and a few others.

Just wanted to check-in, and am looking forward to seeing what the B&B gents have to say.

You're probably quite like me in the way of the cha as you've likely consumed black teas too. I'm a a bit behind you in branching out to other varieties and look forward to hearing your experiences as tastes are likely somewhat similar.

Glad to have a spot to chat on a spot!

 

[vitalsigns81]

3-4 cups a day. Usually Earl Grey or English Breakfast. I have a Barnes and Noble next to where I work so I'm a regular at their cafe.

 

[Rinkydink]

Howdy!
Good to see I have a clan of fellow tea enthusiasts. Chamomile is my sleeping pill and green tea is my go to wake me up if I really need something. I try to stay away from caffeine as much as possible however because I am a very restless person to begin with and was EXTREMELY addicted to caffeine once upon a time; 100+ fl. oz. of coffee a day addicted.
Love me a good calming cup of hot tea though.

- Zach

 

[netsurfr]

Lots of us tea enthusiasts out there. My tea of choice is generally a pu-erh but I also love my oolongs, greens and whites. I am with Ouch in that I do not really like most heavily oxidized black teas. However, there are some from the Yunnan province of China such as the Yunnan Golden Buds that I do enjoy.

Best regards,
Steve
www.JAS-eTea.com
Premium Chinese Teas

 

[vbrnt]

Chlorine will greatly diminish the nuances of tea or coffee as far as I'm concerned. There are quality filtration systems that greatly exceed pitcher filters in performance and price!

Been thinking about getting a filter specifically to use when making tea. Do you have a recommendation other than normal filters (brita)?

 

[Rorysstrat]

I have been drinking green tea in the morning and a dark tea with honey in the evening. I love tea.

 

[Rorysstrat]

Also been kicking around the idea of matcha but thats all I need is another hobby to invest in. Can you imagine T. A. D. ?

 

[vbrnt]

Lets see if I have a handle on this multiquote business.

Howdy!
Good to see I have a clan of fellow tea enthusiasts. Chamomile is my sleeping pill and green tea is my go to wake me up if I really need something. I try to stay away from caffeine as much as possible however because I am a very restless person to begin with and was EXTREMELY addicted to caffeine once upon a time; 100+ fl. oz. of coffee a day addicted.
- Zach

Chamomile is a great tea to go to sleep to, but be wary as often they will mix chamomile with green tea. That was quite the addiction you had there, glad you were able to kick it!

You're probably quite like me in the way of the cha as you've likely consumed black teas too. I'm a a bit behind you in branching out to other varieties and look forward to hearing your experiences as tastes are likely somewhat similar.

Yes, I have been drinking mostly black tea in a similar way to how you stated you prepared it (with milk of course). My staple is yorkshire tea, but I will have to try Barry's now! I have just made a cup of a tea from a sample that I received at a conference this weekend, it's a guayusa tea with cinnamon and lemongrass... i'll let you know how it goes

 

[Nick Danger]

I love Chinese green teas. My favorites include Dragonwell (Lung Ching) and Mao Feng. The trick to green tea is never to use boiling water, and not to steep it for too long. I use water around 170 degrees and steep for only two to three minutes.

The quality of my tea brewing went up dramatically when I bought a Chef's Choice electric kettle that lets me set the exact temperature I want: http://www.amazon.com/Choice-SmartKettle-Cordless-4-Quart-Electric/dp/B001I1BH98

As for where to buy fine Chinese tea at a reasonable price, I've had a good experience ordering from Harney and Sons: https://www.harney.com/harney-teas/chinese-tea.html

Soon, a trusted B&B member who also happens to be a tea expert is supposed to start selling Chinese green tea. Until then, you can't go wrong with Harney.

Nick

 

[Dries]

Both Black or Green teas are my thing. But if I drink later in the evening and want to sleep good I make me some Rooibos. Great tea.

Dries

 

[scarr]

Another tea lover here.

From a Dublin background so I was raised on Lyons tea bags, truth be told - I always found them bland and thought that was the case for all teas.

Then an old GF introduced me to loose leaf Earl Grey. Quite a revelation

Since then, I've experimented with various loose leaf brews.

I began to think that all Irish teas were bland - until I tried Barry's Loose Leaf Classic Blend. It's absolutely delicious and a nice morale booster on a miserable day. Turns out those Corkonians know a thing or two about tea - feel cheated for all the years I drank Lyons!

Have to say I enjoy the ceremony/ritual involved in making loose leaf teas, similar to the way I enjoy the ritual involved in a good wet shave.

 

[ouch]

For my daughter's black belt test, she has to break a bing of Xiaguan iron cake, held six feet high, in half with a spinning heel kick.

 

[nortac]

I have of late been drinking a fair amount of green tea, in an attempt to cut back on coffee consumption. I still start the day with a big mug of Joe and have another cup of coffee when I get to work. Then I shift gears and switch over to green tea, usually two or three cups a day. It used to be all coffee all day, so I have cut the coffee in half, at least.

 

[StubbleTrouble]

Been thinking about getting a filter specifically to use when making tea. Do you have a recommendation other than normal filters (brita)?

Aquasana filters are what I use and much cheaper in the long run than Brita. The below sink model is tried and true for me (used for ten years or so) and it's NSF tested for a number of contaminants.

 

[StubbleTrouble]

Another tea lover here.

From a Dublin background so I was raised on Lyons tea bags, truth be told - I always found them bland and thought that was the case for all teas.

Then an old GF introduced me to loose leaf Earl Grey. Quite a revelation

Since then, I've experimented with various loose leaf brews.

I began to think that all Irish teas were bland - until I tried Barry's Loose Leaf Classic Blend. It's absolutely delicious and a nice morale booster on a miserable day. Turns out those Corkonians know a thing or two about tea - feel cheated for all the years I drank Lyons!

Have to say I enjoy the ceremony/ritual involved in making loose leaf teas, similar to the way I enjoy the ritual involved in a good wet shave.

Rebels make good tea and whiskey IMHO.

 

[leedav]

A piping hot cup of coffee in the morning when I wake up; and a nice soothing cup of Earl Grey when I reach the office. No tea, no work *grins*.

I used to drink a lot of coffee, like 8 cups a day, so much so that I was told to cut down significantly on my coffee consumption. SWMBO started to enforce that, so now I am drinking tea more than coffee. But I still sneak in the odd "more than one coffee a day" once in a while; without her knowing about it. Hope she doesn't read this thread.

 

[something better]

anybody here tried the auto tea makers they sell?

 

[lou-gambino]

Current fav tea is Harney and Son's Paris. It is a flavored black tea but it just seems to make the day better, also good with a little cognac at the end of the day.

Loose leaf is the best way.

Working my way through different unflavored teas from around the tea empire. Tried a few good Assams and a couple of good quality Oolongs.

For the green tea drinkers what temperature variations have you found you like the best? I have a organic green with citrus flavors that seems to work real well at about 180-183 degrees F. But it is. Lot weaker below 180.